Apparatus for reading information from punched-tapes



United States Patent inventor Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee Priority APPARATUS FOR READING INFORMATION Kurt Ehrat Zurich, Switzerland 683,401

Nov. 15, 1967 Dec. 1, 1970 Clba Limited Basel, Switzerland a company of Switzerland Nov. 24, 1966 Switzerland 274/37(X); 3 l5/292; 340/339(X) References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l0/194l 6/1948 5/1948 5/1949 8/1965 9/l965 9/l969 Johnstone et al Carnahan Metzger Rufle Hammel Sundblad Swenson Primary Examiner-Maynard R. Wilbur Assistant Examiner-Thomas J. Sloyan Alt0meyPierce, Scheffler & Parker 235/6l.l ll 274/37 315/292 340/339 235/6l.l ll 235/61.l ll 235/6l.ll1

ABSTRACT: A sensing apparatus for reading information from a punched-tape, or like perforated information-bearing L n n o 00 00000000 oo oo o 0000 "00000000000000.0000... 0 00000 c o oo \o o 000 0 00000 0 S 0 0 o o 0 000000 18 A Li M .l I 20 @0000000006000000000000 OQO II E OOO O @OOOOOQOUOQOOOOOOOOUOOO 4. l

medium, has a sensing field of pins arranged in a raster corresponding to the perforation raster of the punched tape. The pins are supported in a carrier of a resilient material which may be extended or compressed in the direction of movement of the tape to vary the pin spacing and thereby compensate for variations of the raster spacing on the punched-tape.

PATENTED DEC] 1978 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ooooooonoooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooo I Ir SHEET 1 OF 3 00000 O O OOOOO O O oo o OQOOOOOOOQOQQOOOOQQQOO OO O BY /FQM, 4f

PATENTEU DEB! I970 SHEET 2 OF 3 13) 1 W JWk PMM AL me s APPARATUS FOR READING INFORMATION FROM PUNCI-IED-TAPES The invention relates to a senser for perforated informationcarriers, with a field of sensing pins pressed resiliently against a contact plate and a device for fixing a perforated information-carrier between the sensing-pin field and the contact plate.

All hitherto known sensers of this type are relatively large, and require special perforated cards. The reason for this resides more particularly in that because of perforated-card tolerances the raster cannot be below a certain size for a rigid raster of sensing pins.

This disadvantage is avoided in the case of the senser according to the invention as a result of the fact that the carrier for the sensing pins is made of deformable, more particularly resilient material, for example an industrial thermoplastic synthetic containing softeners, and is clamped in at least the longitudinal direction into an adjustable tensioning and/or compression device.

In the case of the senser according to the invention, the raster of sensing pins may be adapted to any individual perforated stripwhich may be inserted, i.e. compensation is provided for the tolerances of the said strip. Therefore, it is readily possible to make the dimensions of the senser such that normal perforated strips of the teleprinter or control art may be inserted as information-carriers. These perforated strips comprise a very fine raster, which has the advantage that a relatively large number of information elements may be accommodated on a definite length of strip, for example 100 information elements on approximately cm of five-unit perforated strip.

For the same capacity, the senser according to the invention may be made considerably smaller than hitherto known sensers of this type. In addition, relatively large production tolerances may be permitted for the appliance, more particularly the sensing field, since compensation can subsequently be made for them also.

The invention is more precisely explained hereinafter with reference to an example of embodiment illustrated in the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows the appliance in plan view;

FIG. 2 shows a section along the line "-11 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a contact plate; and

FIG. 4 shows a switch plate.

The appliance is illustrated in FIG. I with the cover open (insertion position) and in FIG. 2 with the cover closed (operating position).

Two resilient strips 2 and 3 are'mounted in a housinglike frame 1 by means of two blocks 4 and 5, the mounting of one (4, left) being rigid, and that of the other (5, right) being displaceable by means of a setscrew 6. A cover 7 carrying an insulated contact plate 8 on its inside is articulated to the frame 1, the said plate being designed as a supporting surface for a perforated strip 9 which can be fixed by means of a flat frame 10 in a position on this contact plate defined by the suspension pins 11. The contact plate 8 is preferably made in the form of a printed circuit, and interchangeably fastened to the cover 7. The cover 7 is capable of being locked in the closed position to the lower part of the appliance (frame 1) by means of a locking clamp (not illustrated).

The two extensible and compressible strips 2 and 3 are perforated in the shape of a raster. ln the holes in both strips there is in each case a series of contact pins 12 and 13 comprising a shoulder on each pin on the mutually facing surfaces of the strips. Every two oppositely disposed pins are linked to one another by a compression spring 14, which on the one hand forces the pins outwards and on the other hand makes a conductive connection between them. When the cover 7 is closed, the upper field of contact pins 12 is thus forced against the contact plate 8, but when a perforated strip 9 is inserted this occurs only at those points where there is a hole in the said strip. The lower field of contact pins 13 is forced against a switch plate 15 which may be designed as shown in FIG. 4. The switch plate comprises terminals 16 underneath, and is fixed, preferably in interchangeable fashion, in a baseplate l7 on which the frame 1 of the appliance rests.

The whole upper part (frame I) is easily detachable from the baseplate 17 with the connecting plate 15. For this purpose, the upper part is linked to the baseplate by clamps or the like (not illustrated), and electrical contact is made to the terminals 16 by the sprung contact pins 13.

As may be seen from FIG. I, the frame 10 and the clamping block 5, which is displaceable by the setscrew 6, are coupled to one another by drivers 18 and 19 respectively, so that when the clamping block 5 is adjusted the frame, which is displaceably mounted on its pivoting spindle 20, is driven along. The frame is provided with a reference mark, in the illustration an inspection hole 21.

The contact plate shown in FIG. 3 (8, FIG. 2) comprises 10 contact strips A to L in five lines, and serves, together with the switch plate illustrated in FIG. 4 (15, FIG. 2) with 20 contact strips extending in the shape of columns, to adapt the senser as a 10 X 10 coordinate switch. The contact plate (FIG. 3) is made in the form of a printed circuit. The switch plate (FIG. 4) is made in the form of a double-sided laminated printed circuit, the marked points being provided with connecting tags (16, FIG. 2); the connections on the underside are indicated by dashed lines.

The handling and operation of the appliance according to the invention are more precisely described hereinafter.

The perforated strip 9 carrying the corresponding perforated information elements is placed in suspension in the cover 7 by the suspension pins 11. The pressure-frame I0 is forced against the perforated strip 9. The check-inspection hole 21 is made to coincide with the feed hole beneath it in the perforated strip 9 by rotation of the setscrew 6, with the result that the two synthetic strips 2 and 3 are extended or compressed. The change in length of the strips 2 and 3 is mechanically coupled to the pressure-frame 10 with the check-inspection hole 21 via the drive-lugs 19 and 18. Extension or compression of the strip 3 can always provide compensation for the maximum tolerances (standardized) with respect to the spacings between rows of holes.

After the cover 7 with the inserted perforated strip 9 has been closed, the sprung contact pins 12 sense the perforated information elements in the perforated strip, and make corresponding contacts with the common contact plate 15.

If the appliance is used as a store for, for example, bits, or as a coordinate switch for 10 X l0 connecting points, it is merely necessary to change the contact plate 8 and the connection plate 15.

In the case of use as a store, 22 rows of holes are for example sensed with the contact pins 12, that is to say 1 10 holes in the case of a five-unit perforated strip. One contact is required as a connection for the contact plate 8; in the connection plate 15, all the connecting tags 16 are insulated from one another. In practice, 109 holes may still be used for information.

In the case of use as a 10 X 10 coordinate switch, the contact plate according to FIG. 3 and the connection plate according to FIG. 4 are required. Of the 22 rows of holes, two rows are used as connecting points for the 10 inputs A to L on the contact plate (FIG. 3). On the connection plate, the connecting points for the 10 outputs l-l0 are disposed at the marked points, which are provided with connecting tags (FIG. 4).

Iclaim:

1. In a sensing apparatus for reading information from a perforated raster established in a punched-tape or similar perforated information-bearing medium, a sensing field of pins arranged in a raster corresponding to the perforation raster of the information-bearing medium for penetrating the perforations in the latter, a contact plate for cooperation with the sensing ends of said pins, means for locating the information bearing medium between said contact plate and said raster of sensing pins for sensing the perforations in said informationbearing medium, a carrier of resilient material in which said raster of sensing pins is supported, and means linked to said sensing pin carrier for applying a tensioning and/or compression force thereto in at least one direction parallel to the plane reserved for the perforated information-bearing medium to vary simultaneously all the spaces between the sensing pins in said one direction by deformation of said sensing pin carrier thereby to compensate for variations of the raster spacing on said information-bearing medium.

2. A sensing apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said force applying means is adapted to apply force to said sensing pin carrier parallel to the direction of movement of a striplike information-bearing medium across the field of sensing pins.

3. Sensing apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said sensing pin carrier is a resilient material such as a synthetic product containing a softener.

4. Sensing apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein one side of said sensing pin carrier is stationarily secured and wherein said force applying means comprises a setscrew arrangement coupled to a part secured to the opposite side of said sensing pin carrier, rotation of said setscrew in one direction or the other serving to apply a force in tension or compression, respectively, to the sensing pin carrier thereby to deform the same in said one direction.

5. Sensing apparatus as defined in claim 4 and which further includes means in which said sensing pin carrier is received, a cover pivotally mounted on said sensing pin carrier receiving means, and wherein said means for locating the informationbearing medium between said contact plate and raster of sensing pins comprises a frame for holding said informationbearing medium adjacent said contact plate, said frame establishing a window exposing the information-bearing medium to said raster of sensing pins, means pivotally mounting said frame about the same axis as said cover, and means coupling said frame to said part which is secured to the opposite side of said sensing pin carrier for displacement therewith as said setscrew is actuated.

6. Sensing apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said frame is provided with a reference mark for alinement with indicia provided on said information-bearing medium whereby alinement of the sensing pins with the perforations in said information-bearing medium is achieved.

7. Sensing apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said frame includes a pivot bearing engaged with a portion of said part which is secured to the opposite side of said sensing pin carrier to couple the frame thereto.

8. Sensing apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said sensing pin carrier is provided with a raster of apertures in which said sensing pins are received.

9 Sensing apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said sensing pin carrier is ofa resilient material and is platelike and has a plurality of apertures arranged in a raster in which said sensing pins are received; and further comprising a second platelike carrier of resilient material parallel to and in spaced apart relation with said sensing pin carrier. said second carrier having a plurality of apertures in alinement with the apertures of said sensing pin carrier; a plurality of further pins received in the apertures of said second carrier and having ends projecting out of said second carrier on the side thereof remote from said sensing pin carrier; a second contact plate mounted in engagement with the projecting ends of said further pins on the side of said second carrier remote from said sensing pin carrier; and a respective electrically conductive compression spring located between each of said sensing pins and the pin in the corresponding position in said second carrier to urge the pins towards their respective contact plates to provide an electrical connection therebetween. 

